Rensselaer Republican, Volume 22, Number 17, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 26 December 1889 — WASHINGTON AFFAIRS. [ARTICLE]

WASHINGTON AFFAIRS.

The executive session of the Senate,Tuesday afternoon, lasted mo r e than two hours. The principal topic of discussion was the nomination of Judge Brewer, to be Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. This was called up by Senator IngaUs upon the favorable report of the committee on judiciary. Although there was no minority report, confirmation of the nomination was opposed by Senators of both parties. it is said, who based their objections upon two grounds: First, decisions in the prohibition bases in Kansas, which wefe afterward reversed by the Supreme Court; second, that the statement of facts in Judge Gresham’s review of the appointment of receivers of the Wabash system of railroads by Judge Brewer, whose orders in the case Judge Gresham vacated so far as it affected the roads within the limits of his circuit, justify suspicion that Judge Brewer is the friend of corporation interests, as against these of the public; and that the facts, as stated in Judge Gresham’s review, warrant an investigation. The friends of Judge Brewer, it is said, denied that hs was in any wise influenced in his action In the Wabash receivership, but adjournment came before the case was disposed of. It is believed, however, that the nomination will be con firmed. Wednesday the nomination of Judge Brewer was confirmed—s 2 ayes, 11 nays.

Mr. Brown (Ind.) introduced a bill proposing to give the widows of soldiers of the Mexican war the same rate of pension now allowed to the widows of Union soldiers. The tariff bill introduced by Mr. Dockery includes those sections of the Mills bill relating,to timber ana wood, wool and woolen fabrics, carpets and clothing. The leading chiefs of the Sioux nation had a conference, Wednesday, with Secretary Noble in the presence of the members of the Sioux Commission, the Indian Bu< reau officials and several Western Senators. The Indians ask for a resurvey of one of the boundary Tines of their reservation, and that they be compensated for ponies appropriated by the United States troops during the Custer war, in 1876. They also ask for more schools, and that Indians be employed in positions about the reservations when practicable. A bill containing bhe outlinesofa National school law was introduced by Mr. Ingalls. It provides for the appointment of a National Board of Education consisting of one member from each State and Territory and the District of Columbia, which shall have charge of all the machinery of a school system, the districts of which shall be established wherever the parents of twenty-five children ask for the appoint, ment of a teacher. All instructions shall be in English; the age of pupils maybe from four to twenty-one years, and the curriculum shall include the arts and sciences.

The House committee to Investigate the Silcott defalcation Thursday reported that the loss should be sustained by the government. The joint resolution for a recess from Saturday to Jan.« was concurred in bythe Senate Thursday. A bill for a bridge over the Missouri at Kansas City wae placed on the calendar. The treasury wai instructed to investigate Qilifornia'i claims growing out of Indian wars. Thi resolution calling on the Navy Depart meat for information whether naval eu ployes were organized and paying money for legislation, after much debate, waa agreed to; also the resolution calling foj ' information as to the disposition of aban 1 doned military reservations. Mr. Pluml offered a resolution calling for informa Ilion as to the legal status of Indian Terri tory, and as to the instructions given tin Cherokee Commission. The resolutioi 1 calling for information regarding Judg Terry’s killing went to the Judicial Con mittoe. . -e-